TUCSON, Ariz. — Raytheon Co. has delivered a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher to the Mexican government as part of the long-range offshore patrol vessel (Patrulla Oceánica de Largo Alcance, or POLA) program, marking the first delivery of a RAM product to a Latin American country, the company announced Oct. 23.

The Mexican Navy will use the RAM Block 2 supersonic, quick reaction, fire-and-forget missile to counter enemy anti-ship missiles. This latest version features a larger rocket motor, advanced control section and an enhanced radio frequency receiver.

“RAM Block 2 protects ships against a long list of constantly evolving threats,” said Mitch Stevison, Raytheon Air and Missile Defense Systems vice president. “With RAM protecting its frigate, Mexico not only enhances its maritime posture, but they also expand their naval support of national security and defense of critical sea lanes.”

The RAM system is the world’s most modern ship self-defense weapon and protects ships of all sizes. It’s deployed on more than 165 ships in eight countries, ranging from 500-ton fast attack craft to 95,000-ton aircraft carriers.

In a separate release, the company announced that five Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) surface-to-air missiles successfully completed five test flights in back-to-back summer exercises conducted at sea by the Republic of Korea Navy, or ROKN.

ROKN fired two Block IIIA missiles in an initial exercise to test the missiles’ advanced semi-active radar seeker technology. During a second exercise, the navy destroyed three aerial threats using the Block IIIB variant.

The SM-2 missile gives navies the capability to defend against anti-ship missiles and aircraft out to 90 nautical miles.

“These successful flight tests add to SM-2’s impressive legacy of more than 2,700 successful firings,” Stevison said. “As we begin to produce a new generation of SM-2s, the missile will be in the inventories of navies worldwide for decades to come.”

Raytheon restarted the SM-2 missile line in 2017 to meet global demands from international customers, which include eight international countries.

New deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2020 and will include more than 280 SM-2 Block IIIA and IIIB missiles.